Ventilator for non-porous fabric structures



June 24, 1958 J. HERMAN 2,839,986-

VENTILATOR FOR NON-POROUS FABRIC STRUCTURES Filed Sept. 11, 1957 CICI lim 22 nouns.

unusua 20 DDUUEIEI VENTILATOR FOR NON-POROUS FABRIC STRUCTURES John Herman, Chicago, Ill. Application September 11, 1957, Serial No. 683,279

I 6 Claims. 01. 98-37)" This invention relates to ventilators and more particularly to ventilators for use in connection with fabric structures suchas automobile convertible tops, foldable boat cabin tops and covers, tents and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in ventilators making the same especially useful in connection with enclosures made of non-porous textile or fabric structures, such as, for example, nylon orplastic coated covers for boats. i

United States Patent r, 2,839,986 Patented June 24, 1958 Still a further'object is to provide ventilating apparatus of the character described made of light-weight material and of simple inexpensive construction yet S dy, attractive and functional.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying draw- The use of the ventilating apparatus for automobile bodies or cabs and the like is, well known. Such ventilators provided means for scooping up or transmitting air into the interiorof the automobile body during the movement of the automobile. Such ventilators heretofore have primarily been adapted for use in connection with per manent automobile cabs or bodies usually made of steel or wood. Automobile convertible tops and convertible boat tops were heretofore usually made of canvas or other textile fabrics which were sufficiently porous to enable fbreathing through the fabric itself. Thus there was no necessity for using ventilators in connection withsuch porous material enclosures. The same, of course, applied to stationary enclosures such as tents.

In recent years, however, more durable and light weight materials such as man-made textiles including nylon and dacron and the like have been substituted for canvas in the construction of such enclosures. However, since such materials are non-porous so that ventilation or breathing through the material itself is impossible, need has arisen for providing ventilating apparatus for such enclosures. i

It is, therefore, an important object of this invention to provide a-ventilating apparatus to fulfill this need.

Ventilators'of the type'descn'bed'he'reinabove must obviously-be so designed as ,to'adm it air but without admitting moisture or water as when used during snow or rain. Likewise, they must becapable of screening out insects and other extraneous objects. The latter requirements are especially important when the ventilators are installed on moving structures such as automobiles or boat tops. It is, therefore, another important object of this invention to provide a ventilator which will effectively screen out insectsand similar extraneous objects, further preventing the admission of excess moisture or water without, however, interfering with its ventilating function. p a 3 v V Yet another 7 object is to afiord ventilating means especially and readily adaptable for use and mounting on fabric structures, includingthose'made of non-porous materials, suchas nylon. 7

Yet a further object is to providea ventilating unit which may be .used in connection with moving enclosures either to admit air into the 'nclosures or to exhaust foul air from the enclosure into the atmosphere.

Still another object is to afiord means for readily and removeably mounting the ventilator unit on a fabric structure wallor surface. g I

7 in Fig. 1 of the ings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of'which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the'same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in perspective of a ventilator embodying the principles of my invention and illustrated as mounted on a piece of textile or fabric;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line 4-4 drawings and viewed in the direction indicated.

Directing attention first to Fig. 1 of the drawings, reference numeral It} indicates generally a ventilator shown mounted on a piece of fabric P such as may comprise the wall or roofof a convertible boat or automobile top. The ventilator 10 comprises a dome-shaped housing 12 having an integrally formed flange 14 encircling the base thereof. The flange 14 may be of substantially flatiron shape comprising a straight front segment 16 and arcuately formed, rearwardly-converging sidernembers such as 18. Thus the rear end of the flange is substantially pointed as at 19. Obviously the flange likewise defines the shape of the housing 12 which is more or less shaped as a scoop with a wide front end 20 which gradually diminishes in width or converges to the rear.

It should be obvious that the ventilator is designed so that the air is admitted through the open front end 20 and then deflected by the dome shaped wall 12 of the ventilator into the interior of the structure or enclosure upon which it is mounted. V

*In order to prevent the admission of excess moisture or water as well as extraneous objects such as insects and the like, a novel structure is provided which will now be described in some detail. This structure comprises a baflle or front wall indicated generally by reference numeral 22. This bafl'le may be integrally formed with the housing and extends from the front base flange 16 to the top of the housing 12 and further completely fills the opening 20. It should further be noted that the housing 12 is so designed that the plane ofits front edges 24 is inclined and sloped upwardly and rearwardly so that the front end 24 of the top portion is recessed or spaced rearwardly from the rear edge 25 of the bottom flange 16. The function of this structure will be disclosed as the description proceeds.

The baffle 22 is formed with a bottom inclined segment28 which in turn is integrally formed at the bottom of anzinsect-screening wall segment 39. This wall segment is formed with a plurality of perforations such as 32, the size and number of which are such as to efifec- 3. tively screen out or prevent the admission of extraneous materials, including insects, while simultaneously admitting sufficient air through the perforations or apertures to effectively ventilate the interior of'the structure upon which theapparatus is mounted. However, the-bottom segment .23 is non-perfora ted or solid. It will further be noted that the bottom segment 28 is formed ina plane, the inclinationo f which is. considerably greater than that of the perforated segmentfii). The function and reasons for this structure will appear as the description proceeds. It should further be noted that the baflle 22 is recessed from the front edges 24 of the housing 12 so that a front 1 portion 34 of the housing 1?. overhangs or shields the baffle. This overhangfid completely surrounds the perforated segment 3i: and affords an effective means for shieldingor preventing theadmission. of excess water through the perforated portion. Any moisture which might drip fromthe top portion of the overhang 34 will fall or collect on the bottom segment 28 which is posi-.

noted that the flange l i is formed with a plurality of openings such as 36 formed in spaced relationship along said flange. These openings are adapted to cooperate with openings formed in a mounting gasket such as 38,.

the configuration of which is likewise fiat-iron shaped and complementary to the shape of the flange 14. This gasket 38 is adapted to fit under the ventilator beneath the fabric wall F with its openings aligned with the openings 36 of the flange. Through these aligned openings fastening means such as, for example, bolts 40 and nuts 42 may be assembled to effectively secure and mount the ventilator in position on the fabric.

It should be obvious that since the ventilator is intended primarily for use on fabric or textile structures, it is important that the same be light in Weight in order that it be properly supported by the flexible fabric. For this reason, it is preferred that the ventilator apparatus be made of a lightweight material such as for example ligh-weight metals inciuding aluminum or of molded plastic as for example polyethylene. To insure more effective mounting, the gasket 38 may be of channelshaped cross-section as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. This structure likewise minimizes deterioration of that portion of the fabric gripped between the flange 14 and the gasket 38. i i

From the foregoing description and drawings, it should be apparent that I have provided a unique, simple, sturdy, most elfective ventilating apparatus which maybe used in connection with any enclosure requi'ring ventilation. Thus, for example, the device may housed on permanent hard surface structures such as automobile bodies and cabs but is especially designed for use in connection with replaceable and foldable enclosures such as tents and fabric boat cabins or automobile convertible tops. It should further be noted that the device may be used with its front end facing in the direction of travel for the purpose of admitting air from the atmosphere into the enclosure, or it may bereversed so that its open end faces rearwardly for the purpose of expelling air from the interior of the enclosure through the baflle 22 into the atmosphere. Thus when used on vehicles such as boats or automobiles, they may be used in pairs with one unit serving as a ventilator and the other unit serving as an exhaust means.

It is believed. that my invention, its mode of construcclaims.

tion and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a ventilator for an enclosure of the character described; a dome-shaped housing having a front open face, said dome-shaped housing tapering in width and height from front to rear, an integrally formed mounting flange encircling the base of said housing, a baffle secured to the housing and closing the front end of the same, said baflle spaced inwardly from the front edge of 9 said housing, the upper portion of said baflie formed with a plurality of perforations adapted to admit air while screening out extraneous objects, and the lower portion of said baffle positioned substantially in vertical alignment with the front edge of the top portion of said housing whereby the same afiords rneans adapted to drain off excess moisture dripping from said front edge.

2. The ventilator of claim 1 in which amounting gasket is provided to cooperate with said mounting flange for mounting the ventilator on a surface of said enclosure, said gasket adapted to be mounted under the surface of the enclosure with clamping means adapted to connect together said' gasket and flange.

3, The ventilator of claim 1 in whichsaid lattermentioned means comprises an imperforate baifle portion associated with said first-mentioned perforated bafiie portion.

4. The ventilator of claim 1 in which said baffle is positioned in an inclined plane sloping forwardly from top to bottom, said. imperforate portion positioned in a plane of greater inclination than said perforated baffle portion, said imperforate portion adapted to drain off moisture.

5. A ventilator for foldable fabric boat-cabin-tops comprising a lightweight plastic dome-shaped housing having a front open face, an integrally formed flat-iron shape mounting flange encircling the bottom of said housing, the open end of said housing closed by an integrally formed bafile, said baflleformedwith an upper perforated segment and a lower irnperforate segment, said baflie positioned in an inclined plane sloping for wardfrom top' to bottom with said lower imperforate segment more inclined than said upper segment, said baflle recessed from the front edges of said housing so that portions of said housing protrude in overhanging relationship encircling at least the upper segment of said baffle and said flange formed witha plurality of spaced openings therethrough. v

6. The ventilator of claim 5 in which a mounting gasket having a flat-iron configuration identical to that of said flange is positioned in aligned relationship therewith beneath a wall of said fabric boat-cabin-top, said gasket having openings formedtherein aligned with the openings of said flange, and securing means adapted to join together said gasket and flange whereby to secure said ventilator on said fabric enclosure.

References Cited in the tile of this patent. UNITED STATES PATENTS 

